CHAPTER XXV. Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves
|MATTHEW was having a bad ten minutes of it. He had come into thekitchen, in the twilight of a cold, gray December evening, and had satdown in the woodbox corner to take off his heavy boots, unconscious ofthe fact that Anne and a bevy of her schoolmates were having a practiceof "The Fairy Queen" in the sitting room. Presently they came troopingthrough the hall and out into the kitchen, laughing and chatteringgaily. They did not see Matthew, who shrank bashfully back into theshadows beyond the woodbox with a boot in one hand and a bootjack in theother, and he watched them shyly for the aforesaid ten minutes as theyput on caps and jackets and talked about the dialogue and the concert.Anne stood among them, bright eyed and animated as they; but Matthewsuddenly became conscious that there was something about her differentfrom her mates. And what worried Matthew was that the differenceimpressed him as being something that should not exist. Anne had abrighter face, and bigger, starrier eyes, and more delicate featuresthan the other; even shy, unobservant Matthew had learned to take noteof these things; but the difference that disturbed him did not consistin any of these respects. Then in what did it consist?
Matthew was haunted by this question long after the girls had gone, armin arm, down the long, hard-frozen lane and Anne had betaken herselfto her books. He could not refer it to Marilla, who, he felt, would bequite sure to sniff scornfully and remark that the only difference shesaw between Anne and the other girls was that they sometimes kept theirtongues quiet while Anne never did. This, Matthew felt, would be nogreat help.
He had recourse to his pipe that evening to help him study it out, muchto Marilla's disgust. After two hours of smoking and hard reflectionMatthew arrived at a solution of his problem. Anne was not dressed likethe other girls!
The more Matthew thought about the matter the more he was convinced thatAnne never had been dressed like the other girls--never since she hadcome to Green Gables. Marilla kept her clothed in plain, dark dresses,all made after the same unvarying pattern. If Matthew knew there wassuch a thing as fashion in dress it was as much as he did; but he wasquite sure that Anne's sleeves did not look at all like the sleeves theother girls wore. He recalled the cluster of little girls he had seenaround her that evening--all gay in waists of red and blue and pinkand white--and he wondered why Marilla always kept her so plainly andsoberly gowned.
Of course, it must be all right. Marilla knew best and Marilla wasbringing her up. Probably some wise, inscrutable motive was to be servedthereby. But surely it would do no harm to let the child have one prettydress--something like Diana Barry always wore. Matthew decided thathe would give her one; that surely could not be objected to as anunwarranted putting in of his oar. Christmas was only a fortnight off.A nice new dress would be the very thing for a present. Matthew, with asigh of satisfaction, put away his pipe and went to bed, while Marillaopened all the doors and aired the house.
The very next evening Matthew betook himself to Carmody to buy thedress, determined to get the worst over and have done with it. It wouldbe, he felt assured, no trifling ordeal. There were some things Matthewcould buy and prove himself no mean bargainer; but he knew he would beat the mercy of shopkeepers when it came to buying a girl's dress.
After much cogitation Matthew resolved to go to Samuel Lawson's storeinstead of William Blair's. To be sure, the Cuthberts always had gone toWilliam Blair's; it was almost as much a matter of conscience with themas to attend the Presbyterian church and vote Conservative. But WilliamBlair's two daughters frequently waited on customers there and Matthewheld them in absolute dread. He could contrive to deal with them when heknew exactly what he wanted and could point it out; but in such a matteras this, requiring explanation and consultation, Matthew felt that hemust be sure of a man behind the counter. So he would go to Lawson's,where Samuel or his son would wait on him.
Alas! Matthew did not know that Samuel, in the recent expansion of hisbusiness, had set up a lady clerk also; she was a niece of his wife'sand a very dashing young person indeed, with a huge, drooping pompadour,big, rolling brown eyes, and a most extensive and bewildering smile. Shewas dressed with exceeding smartness and wore several bangle braceletsthat glittered and rattled and tinkled with every movement of her hands.Matthew was covered with confusion at finding her there at all; andthose bangles completely wrecked his wits at one fell swoop.
"What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Cuthbert?" Miss Lucilla Harrisinquired, briskly and ingratiatingly, tapping the counter with bothhands.
"Have you any--any--any--well now, say any garden rakes?" stammeredMatthew.
Miss Harris looked somewhat surprised, as well she might, to hear a maninquiring for garden rakes in the middle of December.
"I believe we have one or two left over," she said, "but they'reupstairs in the lumber room. I'll go and see." During her absenceMatthew collected his scattered senses for another effort.
When Miss Harris returned with the rake and cheerfully inquired:"Anything else tonight, Mr. Cuthbert?" Matthew took his courage inboth hands and replied: "Well now, since you suggest it, I might aswell--take--that is--look at--buy some--some hayseed."
Miss Harris had heard Matthew Cuthbert called odd. She now concludedthat he was entirely crazy.
"We only keep hayseed in the spring," she explained loftily. "We've noneon hand just now."
"Oh, certainly--certainly--just as you say," stammered unhappyMatthew, seizing the rake and making for the door. At the threshold herecollected that he had not paid for it and he turned miserably back.While Miss Harris was counting out his change he rallied his powers fora final desperate attempt.
"Well now--if it isn't too much trouble--I might as well--that is--I'dlike to look at--at--some sugar."
"White or brown?" queried Miss Harris patiently.
"Oh--well now--brown," said Matthew feebly.
"There's a barrel of it over there," said Miss Harris, shaking herbangles at it. "It's the only kind we have."
"I'll--I'll take twenty pounds of it," said Matthew, with beads ofperspiration standing on his forehead.
Matthew had driven halfway home before he was his own man again. It hadbeen a gruesome experience, but it served him right, he thought, forcommitting the heresy of going to a strange store. When he reachedhome he hid the rake in the tool house, but the sugar he carried in toMarilla.
"Brown sugar!" exclaimed Marilla. "Whatever possessed you to get somuch? You know I never use it except for the hired man's porridge orblack fruit cake. Jerry's gone and I've made my cake long ago. It's notgood sugar, either--it's coarse and dark--William Blair doesn't usuallykeep sugar like that."
"I--I thought it might come in handy sometime," said Matthew, makinggood his escape.
When Matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a woman wasrequired to cope with the situation. Marilla was out of the question.Matthew felt sure she would throw cold water on his project at once.Remained only Mrs. Lynde; for of no other woman in Avonlea would Matthewhave dared to ask advice. To Mrs. Lynde he went accordingly, and thatgood lady promptly took the matter out of the harassed man's hands.
"Pick out a dress for you to give Anne? To be sure I will. I'm going toCarmody tomorrow and I'll attend to it. Have you something particular inmind? No? Well, I'll just go by my own judgment then. I believe a nicerich brown would just suit Anne, and William Blair has some new gloriain that's real pretty. Perhaps you'd like me to make it up for her, too,seeing that if Marilla was to make it Anne would probably get wind of itbefore the time and spoil the surprise? Well, I'll do it. No, it isn'ta mite of trouble. I like sewing. I'll make it to fit my niece, JennyGillis, for she and Anne are as like as two peas as far as figure goes."
"Well now, I'm much obliged," said Matthew, "and--and--I dunno--but I'dlike--I think they make the sleeves different nowadays to what they usedto be. If it wouldn't be asking too much I--I'd like them made in thenew way."
"Puffs? Of course. You needn't worry a speck more about it, Matthew.I'll make it
up in the very latest fashion," said Mrs. Lynde. To herselfshe added when Matthew had gone:
"It'll be a real satisfaction to see that poor child wearing somethingdecent for once. The way Marilla dresses her is positively ridiculous,that's what, and I've ached to tell her so plainly a dozen times. I'veheld my tongue though, for I can see Marilla doesn't want advice and shethinks she knows more about bringing children up than I do for allshe's an old maid. But that's always the way. Folks that has brought upchildren know that there's no hard and fast method in the world that'llsuit every child. But them as never have think it's all as plain andeasy as Rule of Three--just set your three terms down so fashion, andthe sum 'll work out correct. But flesh and blood don't come under thehead of arithmetic and that's where Marilla Cuthbert makes her mistake.I suppose she's trying to cultivate a spirit of humility in Anne bydressing her as she does; but it's more likely to cultivate envy anddiscontent. I'm sure the child must feel the difference between herclothes and the other girls'. But to think of Matthew taking notice ofit! That man is waking up after being asleep for over sixty years."
Marilla knew all the following fortnight that Matthew had something onhis mind, but what it was she could not guess, until Christmas Eve, whenMrs. Lynde brought up the new dress. Marilla behaved pretty well on thewhole, although it is very likely she distrusted Mrs. Lynde's diplomaticexplanation that she had made the dress because Matthew was afraid Annewould find out about it too soon if Marilla made it.
"So this is what Matthew has been looking so mysterious over andgrinning about to himself for two weeks, is it?" she said a littlestiffly but tolerantly. "I knew he was up to some foolishness. Well, Imust say I don't think Anne needed any more dresses. I made her threegood, warm, serviceable ones this fall, and anything more is sheerextravagance. There's enough material in those sleeves alone to make awaist, I declare there is. You'll just pamper Anne's vanity, Matthew,and she's as vain as a peacock now. Well, I hope she'll be satisfiedat last, for I know she's been hankering after those silly sleeves eversince they came in, although she never said a word after the first. Thepuffs have been getting bigger and more ridiculous right along; they'reas big as balloons now. Next year anybody who wears them will have to gothrough a door sideways."
Christmas morning broke on a beautiful white world. It had been a verymild December and people had looked forward to a green Christmas; butjust enough snow fell softly in the night to transfigure Avonlea. Annepeeped out from her frosted gable window with delighted eyes. The firsin the Haunted Wood were all feathery and wonderful; the birchesand wild cherry trees were outlined in pearl; the plowed fields werestretches of snowy dimples; and there was a crisp tang in the air thatwas glorious. Anne ran downstairs singing until her voice reechoedthrough Green Gables.
"Merry Christmas, Marilla! Merry Christmas, Matthew! Isn't it a lovelyChristmas? I'm so glad it's white. Any other kind of Christmas doesn'tseem real, does it? I don't like green Christmases. They're notgreen--they're just nasty faded browns and grays. What makes people callthem green? Why--why--Matthew, is that for me? Oh, Matthew!"
Matthew had sheepishly unfolded the dress from its paper swathings andheld it out with a deprecatory glance at Marilla, who feigned to becontemptuously filling the teapot, but nevertheless watched the sceneout of the corner of her eye with a rather interested air.
Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence. Oh, how prettyit was--a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirtwith dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pintucked in themost fashionable way, with a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck.But the sleeves--they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs, andabove them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows ofbrown-silk ribbon.
"That's a Christmas present for you, Anne," said Matthew shyly."Why--why--Anne, don't you like it? Well now--well now."
For Anne's eyes had suddenly filled with tears.
"Like it! Oh, Matthew!" Anne laid the dress over a chair and claspedher hands. "Matthew, it's perfectly exquisite. Oh, I can never thank youenough. Look at those sleeves! Oh, it seems to me this must be a happydream."
"Well, well, let us have breakfast," interrupted Marilla. "I must say,Anne, I don't think you needed the dress; but since Matthew has got itfor you, see that you take good care of it. There's a hair ribbon Mrs.Lynde left for you. It's brown, to match the dress. Come now, sit in."
"I don't see how I'm going to eat breakfast," said Anne rapturously."Breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment. I'd ratherfeast my eyes on that dress. I'm so glad that puffed sleeves are stillfashionable. It did seem to me that I'd never get over it if they wentout before I had a dress with them. I'd never have felt quite satisfied,you see. It was lovely of Mrs. Lynde to give me the ribbon too. I feelthat I ought to be a very good girl indeed. It's at times like this I'msorry I'm not a model little girl; and I always resolve that I willbe in future. But somehow it's hard to carry out your resolutions whenirresistible temptations come. Still, I really will make an extra effortafter this."
When the commonplace breakfast was over Diana appeared, crossing thewhite log bridge in the hollow, a gay little figure in her crimsonulster. Anne flew down the slope to meet her.
"Merry Christmas, Diana! And oh, it's a wonderful Christmas. I'vesomething splendid to show you. Matthew has given me the loveliestdress, with _such_ sleeves. I couldn't even imagine any nicer."
"I've got something more for you," said Diana breathlessly. "Here--thisbox. Aunt Josephine sent us out a big box with ever so many things init--and this is for you. I'd have brought it over last night, but itdidn't come until after dark, and I never feel very comfortable comingthrough the Haunted Wood in the dark now."
Anne opened the box and peeped in. First a card with "For the Anne-girland Merry Christmas," written on it; and then, a pair of the daintiestlittle kid slippers, with beaded toes and satin bows and glisteningbuckles.
"Oh," said Anne, "Diana, this is too much. I must be dreaming."
"I call it providential," said Diana. "You won't have to borrow Ruby'sslippers now, and that's a blessing, for they're two sizes too big foryou, and it would be awful to hear a fairy shuffling. Josie Pye wouldbe delighted. Mind you, Rob Wright went home with Gertie Pye from thepractice night before last. Did you ever hear anything equal to that?"
All the Avonlea scholars were in a fever of excitement that day, for thehall had to be decorated and a last grand rehearsal held.
The concert came off in the evening and was a pronounced success. Thelittle hall was crowded; all the performers did excellently well, butAnne was the bright particular star of the occasion, as even envy, inthe shape of Josie Pye, dared not deny.
"Oh, hasn't it been a brilliant evening?" sighed Anne, when it was allover and she and Diana were walking home together under a dark, starrysky.
"Everything went off very well," said Diana practically. "I guess wemust have made as much as ten dollars. Mind you, Mr. Allan is going tosend an account of it to the Charlottetown papers."
"Oh, Diana, will we really see our names in print? It makes me thrill tothink of it. Your solo was perfectly elegant, Diana. I felt prouder thanyou did when it was encored. I just said to myself, 'It is my dear bosomfriend who is so honored.'"
"Well, your recitations just brought down the house, Anne. That sad onewas simply splendid."
"Oh, I was so nervous, Diana. When Mr. Allan called out my name I reallycannot tell how I ever got up on that platform. I felt as if a millioneyes were looking at me and through me, and for one dreadful moment Iwas sure I couldn't begin at all. Then I thought of my lovely puffedsleeves and took courage. I knew that I must live up to those sleeves,Diana. So I started in, and my voice seemed to be coming from ever sofar away. I just felt like a parrot. It's providential that I practicedthose recitations so often up in the garret, or I'd never have been ableto get through. Did I groan all right?"
"Yes, indeed, you groaned lovely," assured Diana.
"I saw old
Mrs. Sloane wiping away tears when I sat down. It wassplendid to think I had touched somebody's heart. It's so romanticto take part in a concert, isn't it? Oh, it's been a very memorableoccasion indeed."
"Wasn't the boys' dialogue fine?" said Diana. "Gilbert Blythe was justsplendid. Anne, I do think it's awful mean the way you treat Gil. Waittill I tell you. When you ran off the platform after the fairy dialogueone of your roses fell out of your hair. I saw Gil pick it up and putit in his breast pocket. There now. You're so romantic that I'm sure youought to be pleased at that."
"It's nothing to me what that person does," said Anne loftily. "I simplynever waste a thought on him, Diana."
That night Marilla and Matthew, who had been out to a concert for thefirst time in twenty years, sat for a while by the kitchen fire afterAnne had gone to bed.
"Well now, I guess our Anne did as well as any of them," said Matthewproudly.
"Yes, she did," admitted Marilla. "She's a bright child, Matthew. Andshe looked real nice too. I've been kind of opposed to this concertscheme, but I suppose there's no real harm in it after all. Anyhow, Iwas proud of Anne tonight, although I'm not going to tell her so."
"Well now, I was proud of her and I did tell her so 'fore she wentupstairs," said Matthew. "We must see what we can do for her some ofthese days, Marilla. I guess she'll need something more than Avonleaschool by and by."
"There's time enough to think of that," said Marilla. "She's onlythirteen in March. Though tonight it struck me she was growing quite abig girl. Mrs. Lynde made that dress a mite too long, and it makes Annelook so tall. She's quick to learn and I guess the best thing we can dofor her will be to send her to Queen's after a spell. But nothing needbe said about that for a year or two yet."
"Well now, it'll do no harm to be thinking it over off and on," saidMatthew. "Things like that are all the better for lots of thinkingover."